Plenty of history in the funeral business since the 1800s

Trade Names:The Fanagan family, in the funeral business now for eight generations, is a significant part of the trade in Dublin, writes Rose Doyle

David Fanagan, as I came through the Aungier Street door of Fanagans Funeral Home, eyed and measured me as a candidate for a 5ft 10ins coffin. It's not a measurement I've given a lot of thought to but David Fanagan does, all the time.

As a seventh generation member of one of Dublin's more venerable undertaker/funeral director families such habits are born in the bone.

"We provide a service to the living, not the dead," he says, brisk and good-humoured and to the point. "We help families through the most difficult three-to-four days of their lives. We inculcate this, and more, in our staff when we train them. Funeral director is more accurate than undertaker as a description of what we do - we're a rudder for the rudderless ship that is a bereaved family."

There's a serenity in Fanagans' first floor reception room at 54 Aungier Street, tones of cream and burgungy catching the mood under an elaborately decorated 19th century ceiling.

Aungier Street, and this building, have been Fanagan family territory for a long time now. Since 1858, when one William Fanagan took over the funeral establishment run there by one William Boland.

It may be where the family found an enduring home but wasn't where things began. In what is a matter of interesting record, the beginnings are shown at 91 Cook Street where one John Fanagan, carpenter and coach owner, was in business from 1819 to 1826. The business was in the hands of James Fanagan, undertaker and coach owner of 44 Cook Street in 1828 and by 1831 had moved to 19 Francis Street. Anne Fanagan took over in 1833.

Some time during these moves William Fanagan had set up an undertaking business at 11 Camden Street which, in 1858, he moved to today's premises in 54 Aungier Street.

William was one of the city's movers and groovers. By 1887 he'd taken over Edward Dycers Horse Repository on St Stephen's Green West and been elected a city councillor for Wood Quay.

In 1903, when he was 76, he became high sheriff of Dublin. When he died in 1905 his 18-year-old son William took over the business.

Young William (Billy) was in time joined by his brothers John and Joseph. With no place in the company for their sister, Elizabeth, she became a designer and designed the first ever uniform for Aer Lingus. Her brothers saw the business through the bulk of the first half of the 20th century.

David Fanagan is a talker, full of energy and with immaculate manners. We take tea, and a coffee, under the framed gazes of various notables of the seven generations of Fanagans and he tells the rest of the family/business story.

"My own theory about the beginnings," he says, "is that when Fanagans were selling coffins in Cook Street, they offered a transport service, too, from home or Mercer's Hospital to the church and graveyard. The business was a male bastion; Anne Fanagan was the lone woman. Carrying coffins with a 15 stone man inside wasn't in the gift of a woman. Clerks and office managers were male, too."

Real changes came with the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s funeral directors placed newspaper ads offering to do more and more for bereaved families, to present charges as one bill. As the motor car took over, there were serious changes. "Eight people out of a pool of 40 drivers were made redundant in the late 1940s and early 1950s," David says.

The 1940s saw another kind of crisis. "John, Joe and Billy were equal shareholders, with their wives Myra, Rhona and Mairead giving critical support," David Fanagan explains.

"In their wisdom, in what was a crisis time for the company, they saw the only way for things to go on without rancour would be if one son out of each family went into the business from then on. This was with the view to keeping the business in the family and became crucial when the English came over and tried to buy us."

But that was yet to come and, before it happened, Alan Fanagan (Billy's son) had joined in 1968, David himself (whose father was John) had joined in 1974 (the year Billy died, too young and suddenly, at 50, "causing turmoil") and Jody (Joe's son) had joined in 1987.

John Fanagan died aged just 61 in 1989. The third brother, Joe, will be 78 this year. "He retired at 60," David says, "but came back after 10 days. He's a non-executive director and chairman."

The late 1960s and early 1970s, when Alan Fanagan joined the firm, "were not easy for business. Six weeks after I joined in September 1974 number 15 branch of the ITGWU had its members withdraw labour in pursuit of a pay claim. The 15 funeral families in Dublin were left with no one to carry out funerals. Twenty-four hours later Erskine Childers dropped dead after giving a speech at the College of Surgeons and we were called in for the funeral. So all the Fanagan family had to be called on."

The three-week strike was a great learning experience, in many ways. "I had to drive a hearse to Home Farm Road Church. I wasn't used to crossing the river, didn't know where I was going and misled those behind me!

"There was a great level of co-operation between the 15 funeral families. It still goes on." (Twenty families operate 54 funeral homes in Dublin today).

Then, in the 1980s, "the English came to town. Hodgson Holdings offered big money to buy the business and, while our three principal shareholders considered it, the three principals running the business were very worried men. Alan, Jody and myself didn't own a stick of furniture!"

Fanagan's owners, David's father, John, Jody's father Joe and Mairead O'Farrell-Fanagan (Billy's widow) were "influenced by their sons working in the business" and didn't sell.

"We were persuasive," David Fanagan is unequivocal, "it was a critical time. HH plc left town with their tail between their legs. Following this we decided that, if the UK could come here, why couldn't we buy here? Eddie Nichols (of J&C Nichols, established 1812 - affectionately known as Eddie the Box) and Ben Carnegie of Carnegie in Monkstown were ready to sell.

The 1980s decision to move to the suburbs was another which was "critical to the continuation of the company. People die where they live," David says sagely. "We'd dipped a foot in the water by moving to Kimmage in 1974. In the 1980s we moved to Finglas and Dundrum and, in the early 1990s, to Tallaght. We kept the names and Brian Carnegie and Gus Nichols now run the companies we own.

"The next major upset was in 1997 when the Americans, Service Corporation International , rode into town and acquired Jennings and Stafford funeral homes. SCI is the largest funeral services provider in the world.

"They operate on a cluster principle, grouping companies together to cut overheads. Kirwans were to be part three of the cluster - but didn't want to be bought by the Americans - but did want to sell."

Fanagans bought Kirwans in December 1998 and Jennings and Stafford subsequently bought back their companies. "And that's where we are today. We've the Fanagan group of Fanagan, Carnegie, Kirwan, Nichols and Murrays (bought in 1973). The northside is operated by a fleet of cars and hearses based in Fairview, the southside's operated from Aungier Street - with a third centre due to open in Sandyford."

The latter day availability of embalmers has brought "seismic change" to the business, allowing families take time to say their goodbyes "with dignity". (Fanagans employs three embalmers).

Another milestone was when a group of the country's funeral directors - Pat Gleasure of Tralee, O'Connors of Cork city, Thompson in Waterford, O'Flaherty in Galway and Fanagans and Massey in Dublin - set up the IAFD (Irish Association of Funeral Directors). "It's led to an unprecedented level of co-operation between funeral directors."

Cremation is on the increase but David Fanagan wants to be buried. "I got a present from my father of a double grave in Deansgrange years ago - it couldn't be bought now!"

Alan Fanagan will continue as MD until 2009. "I'll go three years after him and Jody will be the man in charge then. Alan's son, Robert, is already on board, so we'll get a good 30 years out of him!

"I've got two children, Katie (17) and David (15), and while the business has been discussed, nothing will be decided until they get a college education. If they join it will definitely be their choice."